Inhaler



g- 1939- t A. LEENHOUTS ET AL 2,168,573

INHALER Filed Dec. 21, 1936 I IIIII I '11! IIIIII I I IIIIIIIIIIII IIIII in E I sh I III Y\' w \d'ow Abvam Lwn ioufs SD AQM Q 00E PatentedAug. 8, 1939 PTENT OFFIE "INHALER Abram Leenhouts and A. DonaldLeenhcuts,

. Holland, Mich.

Application December 21, 1936, Serial No. 116,928

1 Claim.

This invention relates to inhalers, and is particularly concerned withthe production of a novel and effective inhaler by means of whichvaporized medicants may be inhaled into the throat or nostrils for thetreatment of nasal or throat irritations, afflictions or the like, orfor the absorption of ingredients into the body through such inhaling tohave a beneficial effect for other purposes than merely the throat ornasal irritation .or ailments.

It is a primary object of the present invention to produce an inhaler bywhich vapors from a liquid composition of the ingredients may beinhaled, wherein the liquid composition may be resupplied when depletedor exhausted, in which the inhaler is of a very compact form so that itmay be readily carried in the pocket, and to provide the device withnumerous features of novelty and of operation for sealing the sameagainst escape of the liquid when not in use, but which is readilyoperated to position so that it may be used for the purposes for whichit is designed. Ihese and many other objects and purposes will beapparent upon an understanding of the invention had from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the completely assembled inhaler.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical therethrough. v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper end of the devicewith the cover removed.

Fig. dis an elevation of the upper part of the device shown in Fig. 3,and

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken substantially on theplanes of lines -5, 6ii, ll' and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 2, allsections being taken looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawing.

In the structure disclosed by the drawing and showing one embodiment ofour invention, an outer tube I of thin sheet metal is provided, open atits lower end and interiorly threaded at such end and having a shortinturned continuous annular flange 2 at its upper end. In a side of thetube a relatively long vertical slot 3 is cut.

In the upper end of the tube a plug 4 is mounted, being inserted at thelower end of the tube and pushed upwardly therein until the larger lowerportion of the same comes against the flange 2 and with a short part ofsmaller diameter extending through the openings which section issurrounded by said flange 2. A vertical pin 5 has its lower end with ahead thereon embedded in the plug 4 which is of rubber or similaryielding material, the pin 5 extending upwardly above the plug 4. plug tand into said openings, at the lower side of the plug, a long tube 6 anda short tube I are inserted at their upper ends, the tubes 8 and 1preferably being of glass.

Above the plug a disk *8 of metal is located having a central opening topass over the pin 5 about which it may turn. The disk 3 has an opening 9therein extending vertically through the disk and at its under side hasa lateral pas- Two openings are made through the sage 58 extending toits edge, the opening and r the passing being so located that when thedisk is turned to one position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said opening9 is directly above the tube 1 and the opening in the plug 4 in whichthe tube is inserted, and the lateral passage H] communicates with theopening into which the tube 5 is inserted. A short sleeve ii of rubberis placed around the pin 5 above the disk 8, a washer .52 of thin metalplaced over the upper end of the sleeve ii and a pin it is insertedtransversely 1 through a suitable opening made in the upper end of thepin 5, the sleeve it being compressed when this operation is performedwhereby the disk 8 bears snugly against the upper side of the plug 4.

A dome or cap It of sheet metal, open at its under side, is placed oversleeve H and the parts associated therewith above the disk 8, and at itslower end is spun into a bead 15 the terminal edges of which passunderneath an annular flange made at the upper part of the disk 8,thereby making a permanent connection of the cap to the disk. In theuppermost part of the cap l4 an outlet opening i6 is pierced.

After the parts consisting of the tube I, plug 4, tubes 6 and F, disk 8,sleeve ll, washer [2, pin l3 and cap it have been thus assembled andsecured together, a. glass receptacle having vertical walls H and aclosed lower end i8 is inserted into the tube I, its upper end edgescoming against the lower side of the plug t. A rubber cushion plug I9 isthen inserted into the lower end of the tube I to bear against thebottom l8 and a screw plug 2% is threaded into the'lower end of the tubei compressing the rubber plug l9 and pressing the upper end edges of thereceptacle ll against the rubber plug 4 thereby making a tight sealingconnection. The receptacle I! is of glass, preferably, and at a pointsubstantially midway between its upper and lower ends has a colored band2! secured therearound, a part of which is visible through the slot 3.This band is for two purposes. It marks the level to which thereceptacle I! should be filled with the medicinal liquid preparationshown at 22, and different colored bands may be used to indicatedifferent medicinal compositions.

A covering shell of thin sheet metal is provided comprising, a section23 closed at its upper end and then outwardly flared and continued in adownwardly extending skirt 24. This covering member is adapted to beplaced over the dome or cap 14 with the skirt 24 extending a distancedownward over the upper end of the tube I. In one side of the skirt 24an outwardly pressed vertical bead 25 is made and a horizontal. slot 26eX- tends from and through said bead laterally for a distance as bestshown in Fig. 1. Adjacent the upper end of the tube l a projection 2'!is pressed outwardly at a position where it may be located in said slotwhen the covering member is in place. The groove at the inner side ofthe rib 25 will pass said projection, so that on turning the cover plateto the right (Fig. 1) until the projection comes to the groove 25, thecover may then be lifted vertically to remove the same.

At a point in the periphery of the head portion [5 of the cap or dome Ma second projection 28 is provided over which the bead 25 in the skirt 2is passed in attaching or removing the cover member. When the covermember is attached or removed the two projections 27 and 28 must be invertical alinement, as in Fig. 4. When in such vertical alinement thelateral passage if is in conjunction with the opening in the plug i inwhich the upper end of the tube 6 is inserted, and the opening 9 in disk8 is in alinement with the short tube 1.

Therefore, Whenever the cover member plied or is removed the partsoccupy s ch position, thereby providing a continuous passage from theoutside through the lateral passage in, through the tube 5 to themedicinal solution a 22 thence outwardly through tube l and the opening9 and finally the opening IE5 in the cap Hi. When the cover has beenapplied in place and is turned so that the parts occupy the positionshown in Fig. 1, the engagement of the cover with the projection 23causes the disk 8 to turn with the cover and move the disk so that thepassage ill and the opening 9 are moved out of operative conjunctionwith the tubes 6 and T.

In using the inhaler described the cap id may be applied to the nostril,for example, with the opening [6 in direct conjunction with the nostril,and then by inhaling through such nostril air will be drawn from theinhaler and other air to supply that withdrawn will be carried inwardlythrough the tube 6 and bubble upwardly through the solution 22, whichbeing of a vaporizable char-- acter, the air will carry with it variousingredients. Of course, the inhaler may be also used to draw the vaporcharged air into the throat. After the treatment has ended the cover isput in place and turned so as to position the projection 27 at the endof the slot as shown in Fig. 1 thereby completely closing the upper endsof the tubes 6 and l.

The construction is one which is readily pro-- duced, easily assembledand is very practical and eflicient for the purposes for which it isdesigned. To refill the receptacle ll it is necessary only to unscrewthe plug 28, remove the rubber member I9 and said receptacle, fill thereceptacle to the required level and then replace the parts which havebeen removed all of which can be accomplished quickly and easily.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

An inhaler comprising, an outer tube having an open lower end interiorlythreaded, an inturned continuous flange at the upper end of said tube, aplug having an annular shoulder thereon located in the upper end of saidtube, said shoulder adapted to lie against the under side of saidflange, a disc having an annular flange thereon disposed above and incontact with said plug, openings in said plug and disc adapted tocoincide with each other, a radially extending passage in said discconnecting one of said openings with the outside air, an inner caphaving an opening in the top thereof and an annular bead around thebottom. thereof adapted to clip over the flange on said disc, areceptacle adapted to contain a liquid therein and be inserted withinsaid outer tube, a short tube inserted in one of the openings in saidplug, a long tube inserted in the other of said openings, and an outercap adapted to fit over said inner cap and removable therefrom only whenthe respective openings in the disc and plug are in alinement with eachother.

ABRAIVI LEENHOUTS. A. DONALD LEENHOUTS.

